GUARDIAN SKILLS OVERVIEW

Guardians are a rather complex class, with different roles
defined by different circumstances. Soloing will require a
different rotation of skills than running an instance with a full
fellowship, for example, and running a 12-man raid will require
modifications from the 6-man fellowship setup.

Threat-Building Skills

These
are the "tanking" skills, the ones that specifically generate threat.
Using these skills will make the Guardian the preferred
target - as it should be.

Vexing Blow - A quick swipe that does
moderate damage. Can be improved with a class trait to affect
multiple targets in a frontal arc.

Sheild-Blow - A solid shove with the
shield, effective against a single target. This attack does
good damage, and can be improved with the use of shield spikes.
An Improved version at level 54 does more damage and
generates more threat. This skill is only available when a
shield is equipped.

Engage - Does no damage, but applies a
slowing debuff and forces aggro - the recipient will target the
Guardian immediately regardless of how much threat he has built up.
When the effect expires, the mob will attack whoever has the highest
threat rating.

Fray the Edge - A non-damaging shout
that generates threat and applies a debuff, making the target slightly
more likely to fall vitcim to a random conjunction. This
debuff stacks, increasing the likelihood of triggering a random
conjunction with each use, and can be improved with traits to stack up
to a 30% chance to trigger a random FM.

Challenge - A non-damaging, area-effect shout that forces aggro on up to 3 enemies. This has a fairly small radius at 7 meters, but is often enough to yank troublesome mobs off the healer in a pinch.

Block
Response Chain - When an enemy blow is blocked by the
Guardian's shield, a reaction chain opens up. These skills
are only available when a shield is equipped. All of the
block reaction skills generate threat.

Shield-Swipe - A brutal double-whammy
attack with shield
and weapon. This affects a single target, and the shield
attack can be improved with the use of shield spikes. Using
this skill negates the use of Litany of Defiance and Catch a Breath
until another blow is blocked.

Bash - The Guardian charges up and
hurls all of his
bodyweight against the target. This attack does good damage
and stuns the recipient. This skill is only available after
using Shield-Swipe.

Shield-Taunt - A non-damaging,
area-effect skill.
The Guardian bashes his weapon against his shield and
presumably says rotten things about the targets' mothers. This
skill is only available after using Shield-Swipe.

Shield Smash - This is a legendary
skill that can be
acquired at level 39 and up, and can only be used after Bash or Shield
Taunt. This one does very good damage.

Litany of Defiance - An area-effect
shout that generates
threat over time and affects up to 5 targets. The Defender of
the Free capstone legacy improves this skill, allowing it to affect 5
more targets. Using this skill negates the use of
Shield-Swipe and Catch a Breath until another blow is blocked.

Whirling Retaliation - An attack
from the Parry response chain, this is an area-effect attack attack
that does moderate damage to up to 5 enemies within a 5-meter radius.
This attack does not generate extra threat, but siphons off
some of the threat from any fellowship members within 10 meters and
transfers it to the Guardian. Can only be used after
Retaliation.

Challenge the Darkness - This is a
legendary trait that can
be acquired at level 39 and up. This is an area-effect,
non-damaging skill that forces aggro and applies the same defensive
buff as Guardian's Ward.

General Damage-Dealing

The "other guys." These skills do not generate extra threat but have a number of other practical uses.

Sting
- A quick attack that does moderate damage.
This gets improved at level 52 to Improved Sting, which adds
a bleed for 10 seconds and removes one corruption upon expiration.

Sweeping Cut
- An area-effect double attack that hits up to
3 targets in a frontal arc. This skill does moderate damage
per swipe.

Stamp
- A downward front kick that does modest damage and
interrupts inductions.

Salt the Wound
- On its own, this skill does moderate
damage against a single target. When used in conjunction with Thrust
from the Parry response chain, it increases the bleed damage.

Parry
Response Chain - When an enemy blow is parried by the
Guardian's weapon, this reaction chain opens up. This chain
does not require a shield to be equipped and can be used in conjunction
with Overpower stance.

Retaliation
- This is the "gate" skill that opens up the
rest of the chain. Does good damage.

Overwhelm
- Can only be used after Retaliation.
This attack does a crushing downward blow, which stuns the
target on a critical hit.

Thrust
- Can only be used after Retaliation.
This attack does moderate damage and applies a bleed.

To the King - A legendary skill that
can be acquired at
level 45 by completing both class quests. It can only be used
after using Overwhelm or Thrust. Does very high damage and applies a
run speed debuff, and has a chance of knocking the target to the
ground, opening up a conjunction.

Let Fly - This one is not a
melee attack,
but the Guardian's sole ranged attack with a bow or crossbow.
It does good damage. Best used for doing ranged
pulls.

Take to Heart - A quick attack that
drains power from the
target and returns it twofold to the Guardian. This skill
costs morale to use, and it does good damage.

Overpower - Guardians can use most of
their melee skills
while in Overpower stance,
except those that require a shield. These skills can only be
used in
Overpower stance, and all do high damage.

Force Opening - A big hit that opens
up the Parry response chain on a successful hit.

Stagger - When attacking from behind,
or on a critical hit, this blow applies a debuff that slow the
recipient's run and attack speeds.

Brutal Assault - A big, powerful hit
that does very high damage and has an awesome death-metal-sounding name.

Stances

These are toggled skills that affect various aspects while active. Only one stance may be active at a time.

Guardian's Defense - This one increases
Block chance, Partial Block chance, and Partial Block mitigation, and
reduces wear on the shield from blocks. Activate this
defensive stance if you wish to open the Block response chain and use
Catch a Breath more often. Since the Block response chain
skills all generate additional threat, this is a good stance for
lower-level tanking, or for Guardians who do not have the Guardian's
Threat legendary skill slotted. This stance can be activated
without a shield, but it is pointless to do so.

Guardian's
Parry - This one increases Parry chance, Partial Parry
chance, and Partial Parry mitigation, and reduces wear on the weapon
from parrying. This stance can be used without a
shield. Activate this stance to open up the Parry response
chain more often. This is generally a better DPS stance than
Guardian's Defense and may be more useful when threat-generation is not
important, as none of the Parry response skills generate additional
threat.

Guardian's Threat - A legendary skill
that can be acquired at level 39 and up. This stance increases the
amount of perceived threat a Guardian generates by 20%. It
also decreases armor wear from hits and increases Block and Parry
ratings. It can be used with or without a shield.
Activate this stance to generate more threat and hold aggro
easier, or when grouped with Hunters and other aggro-magnets.
Because it increases the rating for both Block and Parry,
using this stance will open up both of those response chains more
frequently than having no stance active.

Overpower -This stance requires a
two-handed weapon to be equipped. Overpower increases damage
output 15% and ramps up the power cost for skills by 30%. It
lowers Evade chance, but also decreases wear on weapons from parries.
This stance is useful for soloing and PvMP where big damage
is needed and power consumption is generally not a big issue.
Some Guardians will stay in Overpower while tanking for a
group, forsaking the defense of a shield for brute offensive power.

Catch a Breath - This reactive skill is
unlocked when a blow is blocked by the Guardian's shield. It
restores a small bit of morale, and it can be upgraded through traits
and gear for bigger heals and added power restoration. Using
this skill negates the use of Shield-Swipe and Litany of Defiance until
another blow is blocked.

Guardian's Pledge - Increases Block,
Parry and Evade ratings by
50% each for 15 seconds. Using this skill will usually open
lots of
opportunities to use the Block and Parry response chain skills,
particularly if used when fighting a group of mobs. If a
fight is
getting out of hand, this skill can buy a few precious seconds of lower
incoming damage and enable the use of Catch A Breath to restore a bit
of morale.

Thrill of Danger - Only useable
in-combat. This skill will restore the Guardian's power,
drawing it from enemies within 10 meters. The more enemies in
the area (up to 3), the more power is restored.

Deep Breath - This skill resets the
cooldowns on Catch a Breath, Guardian's Pledge, Warrior's Heart and
Thrill of Danger.

Turn the Tables - A reactive skill.
When the Guardian is stunned (including stuns from
conjunctions) or dazed, using this skill will end the stun and turn it
back on the stunner, triggering a conjunction.

Ignore the Pain - This skill shrugs off
up to 3 bleeds and
wounds. It is effective against wounds up to 5 levels over the
Guardian's current level.

A Friend Indeed

The Guardian stands between his fellows and the forces of darkness in more ways than just the literal sense. His keen sense of duty allows him to swiftly travel wherever the need is great, and to selectively protect particularly vulnerable companions with his great defensive skill.

Guardian's Promise - A physical token of
fealty and an oath sworn. The Guardian carves an acorn and
gives it to a companion, who may later use that acorn to summon the
Guardian to his side. Players may only have one such token in
their inventory at one time, and these items only function when in a
fellowship with the Guardian. They can be traded or mailed.

Protection - Affects one ally, boosting
his Block, Parry and Evade ratings. If the ally is within 10
meters, the Guardian can react to blocked or parried blows as though he
had blocked them himself. Requires a shield to be equipped.
This is a toggled skill and remains in effect as long as the
ally is within range, and until it is toggled off. It can be
improved through traits to make the target less threatening to enemies.

Shield Wall - Affects one ally,
transfering all incoming damage from that ally to the Guardian.
The ally cannot block, parry or evade while being protected
in this manner, but takes no damage from attacks. The
Guardian is slowed while this effect is active. It is a
toggled skill that costs a bit of power every second, and may be
dangerous to use in situations where power consumption is an issue.

Charge - A 7-second burst of speed which
allows the Guardian to quickly move to the front lines of a battle, or
to reach a companion in need. This is improved at level 62,
providing an increase to melee damage in addition to the boosted run
speed.

Summon Tinker - The Guardian can call
Macgyver, AKA Patrick
Potpatcher, who is an old camping buddy from 'way back and an expert at
repairing broken gear using gum wrappers and paperclips. This skill can
be used at any campsite in Middle-Earth, and the vendor can be used by
any character to repair damaged gear or buy shield-spikes and
shield-spike recipes. Unfortunately, the vendor cannot be
used to pawn vendor trash trophies - for that, you need a Burglar.

Class Tools

All classes have a few specialized tools that only they can use. Guardians have only a few, and they are not all specialized.

Heavy Shield
- Though the Guardian is not the only class that can use them, they are
the class that puts them to the best use. Heavy shields can
be crafted by armorsmiths, earned as quest rewards, dropped by mobs or
found in chests as boss loot. Heavy shields typically have
very high armor ratings, lower Evade chance and increase other
defenses, and good ones boost a number of base stats. At
lower levels, the Guardian will want the highest-level shield he can
use, and at higher levels will pay more attention to bonuses and armor
rating. Guardians can also use light and medium shields, but
these generally provide markedly less defense than heavy shields.

Shield Spikes - These can be made by
weaponsmiths and come in a variety of flavors. Some types
will increase the crit chance from shield skills, some will add
specific damage types to shield attacks (Westernesse, Beleriand,
Ancient Dwarf-make, etc). These bonuses last from 5 - 25
minutes, depending on type, and can be removed if needed by a
shield-spike removal kit, obtainable from Guardian class trainers.

Guardian Belt - Belts are only available
at high levels when players are able to use Legendary Items.
These go in the class slot on the character journal panel.
The base stat increases Shield Use Rank, making the Guardian
more effective with a shield. Advanced belts (2nd & 1st age)
also increase perceived threat. More information about these
can be found on the Legendary Items page.